


Only At Her Mercy

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Fireside Tales [101]
Category: Norse Religion & Lore
Genre: Alternate Universe, GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1349413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where the winter cloaks the world in snow and night, and mountains cradle the sky, a queen guards her lands from a stranger who dares to encroach upon her mercy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only At Her Mercy

**Author's Note:**

> Frigg, meeting Óðinn  
> Prompt: King  
> Alternate Universe: NOS

She is the daughter of the wild wind and glacier ice, strong and proud as the mountains. White snow and black stone, ice-frosted moss and stone breaking pine.

Beside her runs the great-wolf, the sword-bound son of fire and winter, outcast and fierce. He is her constant companion and dearest friend, defender and weapon alike. Teeth as knives, and howl to curdle blood.

Together they roam the forest and mountain, tracing the boundary of her valley, deep and wide, with a chattering stream to cross the center. The edge is marked in rune and sign, so none may trespass, be they man or beast, without knowing. This far and no further, save at the sufferance of those who rule this land.

It is long and long years before one dares to ignore sign and rune, tall and bold as summer oak. Barley gold of hair, eyes that gleam as the river, clad in iron-rust and night sky. Nut-brown of skin that hides bear-strength, with a long-tooth in one hand and round shield in the other.

She watches from her pines and her rocks, and the great-wolf howls his warning from the height at the stranger who dares to trespass. The oak-man does not frighten, and he lifts the long-tooth in threat, rattling it against his shield.

No one makes such a threat unanswered, and she draws a deep breath before whispering to the wind and mountain. Let none who think this place for the taking find it so easy as it is rich. A deep moan winds through the valley on the wind, and she draws on a cloak of moss and pine before she steps beneath the summer sun.

The stranger grounds his long-tooth, and speaks in a language she has not heard in all her years. She lifts her head higher, and returns his words with her own. Leave here, or be consumed by stone and tree, wolf and wind. There are none who may be master here.

He steps toward her, and the wind that winds through the valley strengthens, pushing him back and plucking at his clothes. This is not his world, not his home, but hers, and she will not yield it to any, no matter how they threaten, or what they think is the right.

There is silence, and nearly stillness for a long moment after he stops trying to reach her. He touches a hand to his chest, and speaks a single word. Darraðr. A name to call him, and she waits a long moment before she responds in kind. Skjálf.

**Author's Note:**

> Darraðr is one of the many names of Óðinn, and Skjálf one of the names of Freyja - though in this, Freyja, Frigg, Skaði, and Hel are all mingled into one, for the most part. However, Frigg is the one who is the speaking part, as it were, so hers is the name for the POV character. I am not entirely sure what else will happen in this particular twist on mythology, but I do know that it's going to be interesting, and probably involve longer pieces, and most of the deities being called by names other than the familiar ones - Óðinn, Þor, Frigg, Freyja, Skaði, Hel, Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Sigyn, Sif, Heimdallr, Freyr, Njörðr
> 
> The line that was given to me first was:
> 
> This realm is hers, and he is only king at her mercy.
> 
> It is, theoretically, the last line of the story. I have not been given the rest of the story between the introduction and that line, but I suspect I will end up needing a second prompt for that. For now, I'll share this, and figure out the rest later.


End file.
